


Nameless Monster

by DimensionSlip



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Exes to Lovers, M/M, Minor Sylvix (FWB) in Chapter 2, Modern AU, No prior knowledge of Psycho-Pass needed, Office Sex, Top Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, psycho-pass au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27790624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DimensionSlip/pseuds/DimensionSlip
Summary: In a society where people's state of mind and personalities are measured by the Sibyl System, a powerful network of psychometric scanners, members of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department work to carry out the justice meted out by this structure. Dimitri, an enforcer, and Felix, an inspector, are two such members, tasked to fight together despite their now fraught relationship.(An FE3H x Psycho-Pass AU, with a heavy focus on Dimitri & Felix's relationship)
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58





	1. The fairy tale seems to have died just now

**Author's Note:**

> A collaboration story originally written for the Dimilix Big Bang, with accompanying art by the wonderful [Toastie the Know](https://twitter.com/KnowToastie)! Much thanks to Tam ([androgenius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgenius)) for the beta read as well!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
>  Warnings:  
>  **
> 
> \- Mild gore around the "takes a chance and shoots" part, but I don't think it's enough to merit the archive warning tag. But in case you're bothered by that, please skip the next paragraph.

Of course, it would rain on his first day of work.

But that's just par for the course when it comes to Ashe's luck, a fickle creature that does whatever it wants in this wheel called life. There's ups and there's downs, but whatever the case is, it keeps rolling, taking Ashe where it may lead.

In this case, it's past the barricade he flashes his new inspector badge at and through the damp pavement leading to the makeshift tent his division had set up for this case. There waits a slender man in a crisp suit, his dark hair tied into a high ponytail. At the sound of Ashe's wet footsteps, he looks up from his watch, a frown on his spectacled face.

"Excuse me," Ashe says, panting, "are you Inspector Fraldarius?"

Great, what a first impression to make. Half-soaked, gasping for breath—nothing like the neat and composed one Ashe had planned on giving. From that glimpse he got, the man seems to be sizing him up, and, if Ashe got things right, this guy will be his partner for the foreseeable future.

"...Felix is fine," the man says after a moment's contemplation, gaze still narrowed. "You sure have rotten luck, having to deal with an incident right after getting posted."

Ashe manages a nervous chuckle, given how that's right in line with what he's been thinking. Now that he's straightened up and looking at Felix from a more accurate angle, Felix looks to be the same height as Ashe, a bit of a surprise given that rather intimidating aura that seems to add on to his stature.

Right, it's not too late for a proper introduction anyway. Now that he has had the time to catch his breath, Ashe salutes, back ramrod straight.

"I'm Inspector Ashe Ubert. I've been assigned to the Public Safety Bureau's Cri—"

"Sorry," Felix says, not sounding like he meant it, "but we're short on manpower now. You'll have to hit the ground running."

Again, Felix brings out his watch, tapping on the screen to bring up a holographic display. Ashe bites back a sigh and follows suit, syncing up his display with Felix's. It shows a man with short, brown hair, cut sharply with a small yellow streak painting one of his bangs.

"Our target is Metodey," Felix says, "no last name specified. He broke out of a healthcare facility, killing one of the workers in his escape."

Another window pops up. Randolph von Bergliez, aged 27. Deceased.

Felix throws his gaze towards a dark alley. "The street scanners have tracked him until this point, though given that this is an uninhabited block slated for demolition, we cannot send any drones due to the lack of relay devices. That's on top of the homeless people about."

Ashe wrinkles his nose. "Sounds troublesome..."

"There is one more thing. Witnesses say he has a hostage with him, who we've confirmed as Fleche von Bergliez."

The picture of a light-haired woman replaces Randolph's photo as Fleche's file comes up. Age 24, status unknown. But more than that...

"Bergliez… The victim's sister?"

Felix nods, though, again, does not seem too enthused about Ashe's obvious statement of fact. "Correct. It's best to be prepared." He gestures towards the table nearby. "Your jacket is there. In the meantime..."

As Ashe takes his navy blue inspector jacket out of its plastic wrapping, the wagon next to the tent starts to open from behind.

"Don't think that the guys you're about to meet are human like us," Felix says as he dons his own jacket, sparing a glance towards the vehicle. "As their Psycho-Pass Crime Coefficients all exceed a specific value, they normally would be completely isolated as latent criminals. However, they're allowed into the outside world for the sole purpose of being our hunting dogs. To flush out criminals just like themselves—beasts used to hunt beasts."

Ashe's eyes grow wide as several people climb out of the back. That was not how these people were described to him before, but either way, they must be...

Felix's frown deepens when Ashe looks to him briefly. "They're what we call 'Enforcers' and will be your subordinates from this day forward."

Subordinates? Ashe gulps as the three of them file into the tent, along with two police carts. He's supposed to help rein these people in? Two of them are absolute giants, one of them a white-haired man with arms as wide as Ashe's thigh. The other big one, an unkempt blond with an eyepatch over his right eye, is just as imposing and looks like he could snap Ashe in half. The third Enforcer is a red-haired lady that's about two inches shorter than him, but sheer disinterest radiates from her smaller form as she stretches and yawns.

Oh, where are his manners? Despite Felix's warning, Ashe straightens up once more, though forgoes the salute as he keeps his arms to the side. "I-I'm Inspector Ashe Ubert, looking forward to working with you!"

Ashe isn't sure which is worse—Felix's earlier interruption or the lack of a response from the Enforcers he'll be working with.

"You read the files I sent over, right?" Felix asks after letting silence linger for a few moments, directing his question mostly to the redhead.

"Yeah, yeah," she says after another yawn. "Sounds like another one of those jobs."

"To corner our target, we'll be splitting into two groups," Felix says, eyes back on Ashe, "Hapi and Dedue, you'll be coming with me. You," Felix narrows his eyes at the blond, distaste marring his expression, "are going with Inspector Ubert."

"Got it," Hapi says. The white-haired man—Dedue—looks like he wants to say something in protest, but he doesn't, simply nodding instead.

"Understood," Dedue says as he steps to the side, closer to Hapi than the hulking blond he was standing beside earlier. The blond that looks to be the one Ashe will be managing, if Felix's words are anything to go by.

The carts in the tent pop open, revealing the gun-like weapons that they will be using for this mission.

"Do you know what these are?" Felix asks Ashe as he takes one, with Hapi and Dedue following suit.

"Y-Yes," Ashe says as he picks one up too and lets it begin the initialization process. "Dominators—we've been given some training on how to use them."

A gun that reads the Psycho-Pass of the target it's aimed at, and delivers appropriate judgment depending on it.

"Then that's all you need to know," Felix says, his back to Ashe. He picks up something from the table and tosses it at Ashe, who thankfully catches it without incident. "We'll be keeping in touch through these earpieces."

"Be careful," Dedue says to Ashe's surprise, considering his green eyes are trained on Ashe when he speaks those words.

In contrast, Hapi spares him nothing, right on Felix's tail as their group of three sprints towards the alley, leaving him with the tall blond.

"Always so curt," the blond says as he picks up his Dominator. Ashe throws him a questioning look at the note of affection to that complaint, a bit of a surprise along with the chuckle he lets out as if Ashe weren't there.

"Should we go in, too?" Ashe ventures uncertainly, talking mostly to the blond's side.

"If that's your order, Inspector," the blond says, his eyes glowing blue as the Dominator authenticates him.

Ashe worries at his lower lip, not at all comforted by that noncommittal response. "How do you usually do things here...?"

Finally, the blond throws Ashe a glance as he struggles to find an appropriate address for the person before him. A curious blue meets Ashe's eyes, rather than an icy judging one. "I'm Dimitri. As for your question, you are to let us do our jobs, and shoot if you disagree with what we're doing."

Ashe's brows shoot up at that. Way, way up. "What?!"

Dimitri presses a hand to his forehead, casting his gaze to the side. "Did Felix not tell you about us?" He sighs, looking to Ashe again. "Go ahead and point that gun at me."

Doubt creases Ashe's brow, but he does as instructed, holding the Dominator close to his stomach as he points it at Dimitri's chest.

**Crime Coefficient is over 290. An Enforcer registered at the Criminal Investigation Department. This target has Enforce At Will status. The safety will be released.**

And that it does, with Ashe fighting the urge to drop the Dominator like a hot potato lest he aim wrong. With that kind of coefficient close to the 300 line, that would mean Dimitri may be grounds for elimination depending, and that's totally not what Ashe is planning to do on accident on his first day. Latent criminal or not.

"Relax." Still, Dimitri chuckles, as if remembering something as Ashe lowers his Dominator carefully. "I have no intentions of letting my Crime Coefficient go beyond that line. Not when I have much to do. Regardless, I'm not worth the worry. Just do your job, and I'll do mine."

Meaning Dimitri is very much aware of his high crime coefficient. Not exactly reassuring considering what Ashe definitely does not want to do. Though it does leave him to question _why_ Felix would leave him with such an Enforcer, of all people. Not that Hapi looked like she'd be enthusiastic tagging along with him, but Dedue, perhaps—

"Well, Inspector." Dimitri's words break through Ashe's thoughts, his back to Ashe as he faces the alley their companions disappeared off to. "Shall we go?"

* * *

The abolition block, or what was once known as Yoshiwara, is a mess.

Removed from the hustle and bustle of closely monitored portions of the city, faded neon signs of long-closed shops dot the streets as Ashe and Dimitri pass through in search of their target. Once a vibrant red light district, it's been abandoned due to a psycho hazard that razed half the area. In fear of their Psycho-Passes clouding, many have stopped frequenting it in favor of the better secured Kabukicho, until it turned into the unmaintained wasteland it is now.

"...You don't seem perturbed by the sights here," Dimitri remarks after several long minutes of silence as they navigate the cracked pavement with no sign of their target.

"Well..." Ashe hesitates, wondering how much the Enforcers would have been told about him. No doubt, Felix would have looked through every bit of his file, but Dimitri…

"I lived in a similar place for about two years," Ashe continues. No harm letting Dimitri know, he supposes, considering it'll likely come up in the future one way or another. "Before Sir Lonato took me in."

"I see." Instead of a pitying glance, Dimitri's expression grows pensive as they pass by a noisy shack. "Lonato… of the Gaspards?"

"Yeah," Ashe says, a little surprised as he eyes Dimitri, "you know them?"

While the Gaspards are old money and have their own spheres of influence, they certainly are not the more well-known of the bunch, unlike the Gautiers and Riegans.

"Some old family friends."

"Huh?" Ashe throws Dimitri a questioning glance, unsure if he's kidding or not. He thinks he would have heard about Dimitri at the very least, but—

"Shepherd 2, Hound 2."

Ashe nearly jumps out of his skin when Felix's voice comes over the transmitter, not at all expecting it despite the event having every right to happen.

"The target has escaped into the alley. He's close to your position."

"Roger," Ashe says, charging forward as he chases after Dimitri, who had already sprinted ahead. Who looks to be more than able in terms of running a marathon on top of crushing metal underfoot, a fact he does not wish to verify. Ashe has always been nimble, his speed one of his assets, but Dimitri is a whole different level of his own. The burn in Ashe's chest is foreign as Dimitri flies through the streets, checking his holographic map every now and then for the location of their target.

"Hey!"

"Watch it!"

At the very least, Ashe's smaller form makes it easier to weave through the narrower portions of the streets. Where Dimitri's large form results in those exclamations, Ashe is able to avoid those, mouthing off quick apologies as he sees them closing in on the dot shown on the map.

Panting heavily by the time he catches up with Dimitri, he spots two people frozen before a stairwell two meters away from them. Metodey, wild-eyed as he holds a scalpel to Fleche's throat. Fleche, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looks at them through unfocused eyes.

"Brother..."

"Stay back!" Metodey screams, his blade dangerously close to piercing skin as he directs his shout at Dimitri. "Lower your guns!" None too keen on it but unable to see an alternative for the moment, Ashe starts to lower his, which Dimitri seems to have caught onto as he proceeds to do the same...

...at least until he surges forward, tackling Metodey in a blink. Shocking (and dismaying) as this turn of events is, Ashe forces himself to follow suit, but to break Fleche's fall as Dimitri and Metodey tumble down the stairs as a result of the scuffle.

Ashe tries for a reassuring smile as he scoops Fleche into his arms, tucking her behind the safety of some boxes. "You're safe now." 

No reaction as he takes off his jacket and covers her front, certain that those scrubs she's wearing are far from warm. Still, the lack of a response is not at all promising...

"Damn you!"

Ashe whirls around, attention drawn towards the scuffle going on. "I'll be back."

Gripping his Dominator, he rises and sprints towards the two. For someone with such a small frame, Metodey really is putting up quite the fight against Dimitri, who is struggling to wrestle him to the ground. By the foot of the stairs, Ashe points his Dominator at them, trying to angle for a good shot at Metodey.

**Crime Coefficient is 352. Enforcement mode is Lethal Eliminator. Aim carefully and eliminate the target.**

But as his gun switches to the aforementioned mode, Metodey manages to score a clean hit on Dimitri and turn the tables, bringing about the very much undesirable outcome of Ashe pointing his Eliminator-activated Dominator at Dimitri's side.

"Why are you working as their dogs?" Metodey asks, hands around Dimitri's throat as he continues to pin him to the ground. "You're the same as me!"

Dimitri grits his teeth as Ashe tries to steady his aim, oddly struggling to keep the smaller man off him. "I’m not."

"Liar," Metodey snarls, "you just want to be free! We're not the true villains here. A Blaiddyd should know that better than anyone!"

Blaiddyd? Disbelief creases Ashe's expression at that revelation. It's a name lost to history, but in one context, Ashe remembers it. An "old family friend" indeed, though this is not how he envisioned meeting that family's sole living survivor.

Still, something in Dimitri seems to snap at those words, and finally, he succeeds at throwing Metodey off. Ashe's Dominator has long switched back to Paralyzer mode, but it's with that in mind that he takes a chance and shoots.

Metodey cries out in pain as it hits him on the leg, but it does not stop him from scrambling to his feet as Ashe blinks in confusion. Before Ashe could make heads or tails of it, however, a blue blast catches Metodey by the stomach, tearing a hole through him as blood and guts rain upon the floor. Metodey's lifeless body lands wetly upon the nauseous mixture, which spills past Dimitri's feet.

"This is Hound 2," Dimitri says as he brings up his communicator, sounding like he's doing nothing more than reporting on the day's weather. "The target has been secured."

Ashe wrinkles his nose at the gore below him. "Did you know him?"

"No," Dimitri says, climbing back up the stairs as he absently rubs at his neck. "Where's the victim?"

His gaze travels over to that corner from earlier. "I led her over here—"

She's gone.

"Wh—Dimitri?"

Again, Dimitri rushes ahead of him, as if led forward by some invisible force. How does he know where to go? Ashe scrambles to keep up with Dimitri's confident footsteps, leading him down a basement that faintly smells of oil, rusted drums lining their damp path as Ashe squints through the dim lighting, footsteps echoing off the walls of the basement..

The sight that greets him is unthinkable, yet there it is. Dimitri, pointing the Dominator at Fleche, with the gun's safety released.

"...No way," Ashe says, incredulous as the Dominator's shape morphs into the same form earlier, slating Fleche for lethal elimination.

But Fleche does not seem concerned, producing a lighter which she fires up, an eerie smile upon her face.

"Brother… I'll join you soon."

"Dimitri," Ashe begins, shaking his head as Dimitri glances towards him, "please don't."

Dimitri's response is to wrap his finger around the trigger, though he continues to hold Ashe's gaze, a question in his eye as he keeps it pointed at Fleche.

"She's the victim in this case," Ashe says, eyeing Dimitri's hand warily before meeting his gaze once more. "We're supposed to help her."

"Sibyl says she's no longer needed in this world," Dimitri says, gun still pointed at Fleche. "Do you mean to disagree with that judgment?"

Ashe bites on his lower lip, "I..."

Panic rises in Ashe's chest, one that he attempts to search his mind for a good answer to that question, one he has no satisfactory response to. Sibyl's judgment is indeed infallible, but maybe this is just a temporary increase in Fleche's Crime Coefficient, and there's a chance yet—

_...Shoot if you disagree with what we're doing._

Ashe points his Dominator at Dimitri instead, shaking slightly as he beholds Dimitri's unnatural grin, as if he had just thought of the same thing as Ashe. But before Ashe could pull the trigger, Dimitri lowers his Dominator and takes a step back.

"She's yours."

Ashe only lowers his weapon once Dimitri takes a couple more steps back, knees shaking still as he trudges towards Fleche, who seems unmindful of their exchange just now.

"Miss Fleche," Ashe calls, "Could I please have a moment of your time?"

While his words seem to catch Fleche's attention, her gaze is unfocused when it meets Ashe's.

"I just wanna talk," Ashe continues, taking a step forward. No response, but that's not a bad thing considering what Fleche's about to do.

"...Why should I?" Fleche asks, her sorrowful visage shadowed by the flames. "I want to meet my brother soon..."

"That can wait for a bit."

Well, he'd rather it not come to pass, but he'll take what he can get for now.

"Tell me what your brother was like."

"Huh?" Fleche blinks, though the statement seems to have lit some life back into her eyes. "Well…"

Ashe nods. "Go on."

"He was kind… dedicated to his job. He wanted to save people and it kept him busy, but he'd still make it a point to come home every night."

Fleche switches off the lighter, gaze downward. "I became a nurse so I could follow in his footsteps. But now he's gone..."

"You still can," Ashe says, sucking in a breath as he notes Fleche's finger still on the lighter's switch. "Follow in his footsteps."

"How…?"

"He was a doctor, right?" A small guess given the information Ashe knows, but it seems to have hit the mark considering the spark of acknowledgement in Fleche's eyes. "Doctors relieve people's pain… and right now I'm suffering. I don't want to kill you with this gun, but if things stay the way they are, I'll have to.

"Please." Ashe meets Fleche's troubled gaze square on, trying his best to smile. "I don't want to do it. You don't want to hurt people either, right?"

Fleche pauses, then shakes her head, which Ashe replies to with a nod. Good, he's going somewhere with this. "If this building goes down in a fire, Dimitri and a whole bunch of others above ground are also going to perish. So if you can… please discard that lighter."

Ashe can hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as a lengthy pause follows. He jolts at a strange noise that breaks through it, and he only realizes a split second later that it's a sob coming out of Fleche as she drops to her knees.

"He… he protected me," Fleche says as she cries. "He'd be sad if I went after him now and hurt everyone in the process..."

With that, Fleche lowers the lighter and wipes her tears away, smiling faintly at Ashe.

"Thank you—"

Something whizzes past Ashe and catches Fleche, who slumps to the ground before she could finish her statement.

"Inspector Ubert, I expect you to explain your handling of this situation in your report," Felix says, brows furrowed as he approaches Ashe, who gapes at him in disbelief as Dedue walks past them to pick up an unconscious Fleche. "Did that dog put you up to this?"

"Wha—" Ashe stops short, the direction of Felix's gaze telling everything he needs to know, the latter's recipient shrugging. "No, I had Dimitri take a step back."

"Fefe, it's not always Didi's fault that things go way off script," Hapi pipes in from where she's hanging back, throwing a curious glance at Dedue who has Fleche in his arms. "Even if he has a tendency to attract trouble..."

Fefe? Didi? Ashe isn't sure if Hapi's whimsical attitude is a product of bravery or something else—though the way Felix lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes his head seems to say that this is not the first time he's heard this nickname.

"...Whatever," Felix says, pushing up his glasses. "let's head back to the headquarters."

Dimitri chuckles, which causes Felix to become huffier as he storms past Hapi and leads the way out of the basement. A stern superior, an eccentric lady, a quiet giant, another giant that has a history with his aforementioned superior—Ashe is still unsure how he's going to get along with all his quirky co-workers, but for what it's worth, this day could have been worse. His luck is indeed a fickle mistress, but at least it manages to pull through when it counts.

Hopefully it will carry through in the days to come too. He'll need it, that's for certain.


	2. In the brick hospital ward, I can't sing well

"So, you're saying that you made the right decision at the right time?” Felix asks, squinting at the document before him. He may not need his glasses to correct his vision, but the contents of the report still merit some disbelief and a need to confirm what he’s seeing. “Is that your conclusion, Inspector Ubert?"

"Yes, I believe I did what was right in the situation," Ashe says, determined. “Fleche's hue increase has proven to be temporary and the reports say she's taking well to hue therapy. Her Psycho-Pass is recovering well and they say she will be discharged in a few days."

Felix meets Ashe's resolute gaze with a steely one of his own, hands folded on top of his desk as he considers Ashe’s conclusion.

...Or rather, makes a show of it. Ashe’s logic is sound and Felix has to admit that his new Inspector partner looks a lot more capable than his outwardly nervous vibe would suggest, but all the same…

...That bastard Dimitri. Felix swears he's gotten way more smug since yesterday, but he has no way of proving that. Not when such a thing requires Felix to _actually_ talk to Dimitri.

"Is there anything else, Inspector Fral—Felix?"

There it is again. What seems to be Ashe's nervous habit of fidgeting, lips drawn as he waits for Felix's verdict. Still, he inwardly curses to himself, having lost himself in his thoughts a moment too long.

"Nothing else," Felix says with a push of his glasses, "thank you for your report."

"Okay." Ashe nods, then offers him a bow before retreating back to his desk adjacent to Felix's. Likewise, Felix turns his attention back to his screen, spotting Dimitri out of the corner of his eye. He pauses, glaring at Dimitri's annoyingly broad back as he sits at his own desk, seemingly engrossed with his own work.

Or perhaps Dimitri's only pretending to be? An irrational surge of irritation follows at the thought. Felix can't tell if Dimitri is smiling right now thanks to Felix's own slip- up, but he would not put it past him. It was easy to spot Hapi watching Ashe give his report given how her desk is straight across from Felix's and all she has to do is spare a glance his way. But Dimitri's desk is diagonally across from Felix’s even if it's one of the closest to the back of the room, with only the generously large Inspector desks furthest behind. Dimitri would have to turn his chair to watch him and Ashe, and Felix does not recall any such sound earlier.

And Dimitri, given how much of a damn boar he could be, is far from silent when he moves around.

Satisfied with this train of logic, Felix tears his gaze away from Dimitri and clicks on the latest message from Chief Rhea, determined not to let a distraction that starts with the letter D to get in the way of his work any more than it should. He'll probably have to take a few more pills to manage his hue, but such is his way of life now.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late."

Dedue walks into the office about five minutes from his shift's start, prompting Hapi to rise and stretch as she lets out a yawn.

"Finally. Catch you guys later."

Felix nods, and, with a wave of her hand, Hapi shows her back to them and walks towards the exit.

"Dimitri, isn't your shift over, too?" Ashe pops the question from his desk, rising as he peers at Dimitri, who nods without looking up from his screen.

"Yes. However, with one of our division's Enforcers out of commission as of press time, we are understaffed and it would not hurt to have an additional Enforcer on duty should something happen."

"Dedue and I are enough," Felix says, regretting the moment the words are out of his mouth as it gets everyone looking in his direction. Including Dimitri, who swivels his chair to face Felix, his lone blue eye piercing through him.

Despite lacking any reason to, Felix's heart skips a beat when their gazes meet. He wants to throw himself out the window for that.

"You are not needed and are hereby dismissed," Felix says firmly, hardening his glare as he resists the urge to ball his fists atop his table.

"Is that what you really think, Felix?" Dimitri asks, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards in a slight smile that boils Felix's blood and has his fingers curling into inevitable fists.

Dimitri knows how annoying it is when he grins like that and directs it at Felix. How irksome the electricity between their gazes is. How bothersome it is when Felix's heart pounds against his ribcage no thanks to his low drawl, indicative of a promise Felix's body eagerly responds to.

It's not fair, really. Not when Felix is determined to leave behind a certain aspect of their past and move on with his goddamn life.

Squashing down those discomfiting thoughts, Felix pushes himself to his feet and draws himself to his full height, summoning all the authority he can with his posturing. "You don't have the right to order me around. A dog should heel when told so by its master."

It works. Felix sneers as those words wipe the smirk off Dimitri's face and gets him to tear his gaze away. Head lowered, Dimitri rises from his seat, expression unreadable as he crosses the short distance between him and Felix's desk. He plants his hands on the edge of Felix's desk, brows creasing slightly as Felix keeps the challenge in his gaze. If it's a fight that Dimitri wants, Felix is ready to give more of it. Even if he's leaning a little too close for comfort and—

"That's not what you said in bed."

—Screw that boar seven ways into Sunday.

Much to Felix's chagrin, heat rushes to inconvenient places as Dimitri's breath ghosts past Felix's ear. His familiar warmth looms uncomfortably close as Felix's pale cheeks color, the fire of embarrassment enough for him to cast his eyes aside. How much of that did Ashe and Dedue hear? WIth the way the words ring in his ears after the fact, he can't tell how audible it was, but all the same, how dare he pull this card on him—

"This is an elevated area stress warning. Inside Cethleann Memorial Hospital in Shinjuku Ward, a Psycho-Pass above the regulation value has been detected. Inspector on duty, please go straight to the site with Enforcers immediately."

The alarm continues to blare inside the room, and boisterous as it is, it pulls Felix out of his head. The warmth filling him recedes as well, bringing with it clarity as he turns away from Dimitri and grabs hold of his bag.

"Let's go," he says to Dedue, walking past Dimitri and hoping he'd get the message that he's unwanted here.

"I'll tag along."

He does not.

Felix whirls around, fury reddening his expression as he turns on Dimitri. "I forbid it."

"I can go with him."

God damn you Ashe. Felix's command should have sealed the deal considering Enforcers are not allowed to walk outside the premises without an accompanying Inspector, but with Ashe on the case, it's a moot point.

"I could do with more experience," Ashe continues, slightly flustered. "I'll stay out of your way, Inspector Felix."

"Then make sure _he_ stays out too," Felix snaps, resisting the urge to stomp all the way out. He's no longer five, but honestly when Dimitri's acting like he's four, it's difficult not to remember that fact.

* * *

Cethleann Memorial Hospital is a medical facility that specializes in physical therapy and surgery. A long-standing institution that has been at the forefront of its craft for 100 years and counting, it has withstood the change of time and transition into the Sibyl System, servicing countless patients in its lifetime.

Felix and his companions now walk through its tiled halls, on separate floors as they wander about the premises, keeping an eye out for the individual with the offending Psycho-Pass.

"Doctor, could you please check on my friend?" A child in a telltale hospital gown tugs at Dedue's coat. "She doesn't feel well after the food we had earlier..."

So as not to cause any undue panic, they've opted to use holos to cover up their suited appearances. Right now, Felix is a nurse assisting Dedue, a general practitioner. A common enough disguise for him, though this would be the first time he'd be using it paired up with Dedue. Who does have some relevant background from what he knows, but putting it to use is something rather unexpected, though it's not like they could turn away this child asking for their help.

Dedue seems to be operating in the same line of thought as he turns to Felix expectantly, waiting for Felix to confirm their course of action.

"Certainly," Felix answers for both of them. "We'll be with you shortly."

In contrast to his former partner who shall gladly remain unnamed, Dedue is a man of few words as he accompanies their charge into the children's ward, busying himself with checking on the sick child they're directed to. Felix takes the opportunity to scour the room, frowning slightly at this turn of events. It does not seem likely that the person with the questionable hue is in this room, considering everyone in sight are children whose stressors, at most, are their inability to move around for the moment—

—No, he must not think on this too hard, lest his mind turn as clouded as the Enforcers that Inspectors like him are expected to handle. It isn’t an Inspector’s job to delve into how criminals act. That’s what the Enforcers are there for, to do the dirty work necessary to keep order within their society.

Inspectors are simply there to make sure Enforcers don’t toe the line, nothing more.

Felix takes a deep, shuddering breath, willing himself to relax as he feels a headache coming. He will have to wait for Dedue to finish this check-up, then, and perhaps they can head to the staff office of this floor as they had initially planned.

"Inspector!" Just as Dedue finishes his check-up, Ashe's harried voice comes over the communicator. "Dimitri has found our target!"

Goddamn it.

Okay, deep breath. Dimitri just did his job for him because he and Dedue were stuck here playing doctor. It's not a slight against his capabilities or a subtle hint that Felix still needs someone like Dimitri in his blasted life.

It's just a man doing his job, as expected of the dog that he is.

* * *

The man with the suspect hue is one of the doctors on the third floor's staff room, a purple-haired man by the name of Yuri Leclerc.

"Hey, I haven't done anything yet."

Although Yuri's arms are raised, there is something about the glint in his eye that Felix does not like, reminding him of a certain scheming redhead he knows. One small mercy, perhaps, is having taken down his respective disguise along with Dedue so he does not look ridiculous with his posturing.

"The 'yet' portion is what's concerning, Dr. Leclerc," Felix says, showing his Inspector badge as he frowns at Yuri. "It'd be prudent for you to get hue therapy as soon as possible."

"I have a busy schedule, Inspector," Yuri says, with a lack of gravitas that astounds Felix, not in the best of ways. "Patients to attend to. Is this truly necessary now?"

"It is as Sibyl dictates," Felix responds, a hand on his Dominator. "Will you be coming with us peacefully?"

Yuri sighs in a manner too patronizing for Felix's taste. "It can't be helped. I suppose I will."

Just as they shuffle towards the doors, a large, dark-haired man nearly the size of Dedue comes bursting through, disbelief painted over his expression.

"Boss!" he pants. "You can't be serious!"

"Balthus, it's fine," Yuri says. "I've prepared for this possibility. You know I wouldn't play a game I can't win."

"No, I won't! We need you here—I'll take them on for you!"

Balthus takes a menacing step towards Felix. Dimitri moves to block him from view, holding an arm in front of Felix, much to his chagrin.

Yuri shakes his head. "Do you truly have to announce your intentions like that? These aren't wayward street thugs. They're part of Public Safety."

Balthus' eyes are on Dimitri, narrowed as he sizes him up. From the corner of his eye, Felix cansee Dedue stepping forward as well, looking like he's prepared to defend Dimitri.

"Such violence is unnecessary." It's Yuri that breaks up the tension building in the air, stepping forward and raising his hand to gesture to Balthus to stop. "Balthus, we can't afford for you to be taken in as well."

Balthus shakes his head in dismay. "You can't be serious! I—"

Yuri narrows his gaze at Balthus. "Who will look after the children if both of us are gone?"

That draws pause from Balthus, whose brows crease in uncertainty as he casts his gaze towards the door.

**Crime Coefficient is 89. Not a target for enforcement action. The safety will be locked.**

"We'll be taking care of your 'boss' for a while," Felix says, lowering his Dominator after getting that reading. "Step aside."

Balthus' gaze hardens when his eyes meet Felix's, but eventually, he relents and steps aside.

"Be careful with your hue," Yuri says as he passes Balthus, "I'll be counting on you to hold the fort."

Balthus nods reluctantly, sighing. "Until your return, Boss."

* * *

The setting sun paints the sky a bright orange by the time Felix and his colleagues emerge from the hospital, herding Yuri to the back of the safety bureau wagon.

As Dedue climbs in with Yuri and Ashe approaches the front of the wagon, Felix glares at Dimitri as they mill by the back of the wagon. "I don't need your protection."

Dimitri throws Felix a perplexed glance. "Isn't that part of our job? You always keep telling us to—"

"It's not that," Felix says impatiently, "you know what the hell I'm talking about."

"Well, Felix," Dimitri says in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'm not a mind reader." 

Felix resists the urge to stomp his foot, mentally reminding himself that he's no longer 10 and more importantly, that it does absolutely nothing except make him look like a damn kid.

Felix exhales. "You can't be this dumb."

"Felix," Dimitri says, mildly exasperated, "just because you stopped caring doesn't mean I have."

"'Stopped caring'?" Felix asks, incredulous. "What the fuck are you on?"

It couldn't be further from the truth, and Felix is clear in expressing his dismay and confusion, the latter of which Dimitri mirrors. Serves him right, though Felix only relishes in that surge of triumph for a moment before he fixes a glare on Dimitri.

"It's a logical conclusion for anyone in my situation," Dimitri says, returning the challenge in Felix's eyes, "After all, I'm nothing more than a 'beast used to hunt beasts' now, am I not?"

"I..."

Felix's gaze falters, flickering with uncertainty as he ponders upon how to answer that question. Because Dimitri does have a point, but all the same, who the hell does he think Felix is doing this for?

"You don't know anything," is what Felix settles for, whirling away. Lowering his head, he starts the way back to the front of the vehicle, determined to have the last say on this situation before he says anything more he might regret.

* * *

The Blue Lions is a restaurant situated at the rooftop of Garreg Mach Tower, a 30-floor structure owned by the Gautier Conglomerate. The tower prides itself in joining work and play, keeping the Psycho-Passes of all employees clear through a clever integration of both in an average workday.

Or so is the pitch of the building's owner, one Sylvain Gautier. The redhead that Felix is due to meet in the restaurant, along with the blonde Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Sylvain's secretary-slash-bodyguard. Both are Felix's childhood friends, this meeting a weekly constant among them despite their busy lives.

Felix is in the middle of his second glass of sherry when Sylvain scans the room, as if expecting someone else to join them.

"Still feels strange not to have Dimitri around," Sylvain says, pouring himself a glass.

Ingrid elbows Sylvain in the ribs in response to Felix's suddenly dour expression. "Don't mention that name around here."

"Ow, fine, fine," Sylvain says, vigorously rubbing his side. "You didn't have to hit me that hard."

Ingrid huffs, folding her arms. "Then don't give me a reason to."

The familiar sight should be amusing, but considering what brought it about, Felix just downs his glass in one gulp, letting the alcohol burn through his veins. 

"Hey Felix, that's a little too much now. Take some of the meat here before Ingrid finishes all of it off—" 

"Shut up, Sylvain," Felix choruses with Ingrid, pouring himself another glass. These days, people are afraid of getting addicted to alcohol, but a generous amount of glasses at the end of the week is something Felix has been finding more therapeutic than suggested virtual alternatives. Today is no such exception, more so when the conversation he had earlier lingers in the back of his mind.

_It's a logical conclusion for anyone in my situation. After all, I'm nothing more than a 'beast used to hunt beasts' now, am I not?_

Sylvain presses a hand to his temple. "Sometimes I wonder who's on whose payroll."

Ingrid rolls her eyes. "I'd like to see you try and find someone else who would put up with that attitude of yours all day."

Felix tunes out the rest of their squabbling, turning his attention to the drink before him. If Dimitri were here—were still an Inspector—he'd be chatting Felix up. Probably something boring like work or something tangentially more interesting like a new move he figured out while sparring with one of the bots in the bureau's gym.

A thin smile forms on his lips before it collapses into a frown as he gulps down more of his drink. Dimitri's never going to be an Inspector again, and their weekly dinners will be more of this empty attempt at normalcy. Heck, even Ingrid's answering her phone while they're all on the table, something she never does.

Speaking of things Ingrid never does, it's furrowing her brows at nothing as she listens to the person on the other line, letting out a tired breath once the call ends, hesitant before she speaks. "Apologies, but I think I need to leave. Something came up with my grandmother."

"Is it serious?" Sylvain asks, the levity in his tone now gone. "We'll go with you."

Ingrid worries at her lower lip. "It's… I can handle it—she's in the hospital right now and getting treatment."

"Go," Felix says as he refills his glass. "I'll watch over this idiot and take him home."

Ingrid shoots Felix a dubious glance. "Are you sure?"

Felix tchs. "I may be desk jockeying part-time, but you know I'm trained for this."

Ingrid looks like she wants to say more, but thankfully, she refrains from whatever the heck she was planning to say.

"Thanks, Felix."

"Let us know if you need our support," Sylvain says as Ingrid picks up her bag.

Ingrid shakes her head, though her lips curl appreciatively at the offer. "I'll be fine. See you."

Once the pattering of Ingrid's heels fade away, Sylvain rises from his seat and shifts to the couch Felix has been occupying on his lonesome, draping an arm over his shoulders as he takes up the space next to him. "Now that the local killjoy is out of the picture, care to tell big bro Sylvain what's up?"

Felix sighs, setting his glass down as he folds his arms. "Ingrid's gonna kill you if she hears that."

"She isn't. Unless you plan to tattle on me."

"If you keep being annoying maybe I will." Still, Felix knows that he won't. Yet again, Sylvain is trying to deflect and lighten the mood, a usual for him when he's worried about something.

Sylvain raises his free arm in surrender. "C'mon! I'm just concerned. I haven't seen you drink this much since you got the news that Dimitri's Psycho-Pass is never recovering."

Felix freezes underneath Sylvain's arm, eyes downcast as he sifts through his muddled thoughts. Should he say something? Sylvain is probably just projecting his worries about Ingrid on Felix, a convenient target, though all the same, Sylvain always has some sort of answer or solution to Felix's problems, doesn't he?

"He doesn't understand," Felix says before he could stop himself, "I can't afford to get demoted."

"Why?"

"There's no one to protect them if we're all stuck in a damn facility."

Sylvain hums, but says nothing more for the moment. Instead, he gives Felix a squeeze and encourages him to rest his head on his shoulder.

Felix eyes Sylvain dubiously. "We're no longer twelve."

Sylvain chuckles, keeping the offer open. "Sometimes it's nice to allow yourself to be twelve again. Care to indulge me for the sake of old times?"

There is no judgment or tease to Sylvain's airy tone, yet Felix hesitates as he leans into the embrace of sorts, catching a whiff of Sylvain's cologne when he breathes in. A calming citrus. Fresh despite the hour, very irritatingly Sylvain. It has a way of making Felix feel inadequate as he swallows down the urge to just let things spill as he did back in the day. To cry out his heart's troubles, and to hear from Sylvain words that he needs to hear. All the same, there is a unique comfort to it that he would not ask of anyone else.

Felix lifts his gaze. "How do you keep your hue clear, Sylvain?"

So Felix gives in to that urge, that unique comfort he would not ask of anyone else. Still, the alcohol must really be getting to his head, considering how this isn't something he asks people other than his therapist. Not to mention, the way Sylvain's expression darkens at the question. Like Felix picked at a scab that hasn't fully healed and is threatening to tear it open.

"All sorts of stuff," Sylvain says easily, and Felix might as well have imagined that strange look on Sylvain with the way he's positively simpering right now. "You know how they say, a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body. Besides engaging in things I enjoy, there's eating the right food, exercise—ah yes, exercise especially."

"'Exercise'," Felix repeats, "that can't be all there is to it."

Because Sylvain should know better than anyone how Felix enjoys his training, both as a way to keep himself healthy and to destress.

Sylvain laughs humorlessly. "Guess you caught me. You know those people I sleep around with? Helps a good bit. With my hue and theirs. A lot."

Felix furrows his brows at that thought. He hasn't really paid attention to changes in his hue back when he was still sexually active, but considering there were no spikes of any kind, perhaps there is a ring of truth to Sylvain's statement.

"Think that'd work for me?" Felix asks absently. The problem is, Felix doesn't really have anyone to try it out with right now.

Except perhaps…

"Likely," Sylvain says, "especially if you've enjoyed it in the past. I'm sure Dimitri—"

"He's dead," Felix says flatly, "Gone along with Glenn."

The monster wearing his lover's skin is nothing more than a wild boar. Untamed, bull-headed, ready to commit a transgression if he weren't leashed. Felix has witnessed it firsthand, and there is no escaping the reality before him even if no one else could see it.

Felix stamps down the part of him that asks why he continues to protect this sorry excuse of an imposter, trodding upon the thought for good measure as he leans against Sylvain's warm chest.

"Will you do it with me?" Felix whispers.

It's Sylvain's turn to freeze up. "What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Felix says, oddly hot as he buries his face into Sylvain's warmth. "You said you wanted to help. I'm not going back to that damn boar for this."

"Are you sure?" Now it's Sylvain that sounds uncertain, an uncharacteristic turn of events that Felix definitely does not need right now. "It's only been two weeks since you broke up with him. Haven't you tried to—"

"I have and I'm absolutely done with him," Felix says firmly, "And even if I theoretically wanted to, I'm sure being with him will just worsen my hue."

Sylvain tears his gaze away from Felix with a sigh. "To be frank, this really seems like a bad idea."

"Says the guy known for engaging in them. If I'm not good enough for you just go ahead and say it."

Sylvain groans, his arm slipping away from Felix's shoulders. "It's not that. You're a friend, Felix. One of my most cherished friends. I don't have weekly dinners with people I sleep with."

Felix huffs. "This won't change anything between us. I just want to test something out."

Sylvain's lips draw into a thin line, his eyes uncharacteristically apprehensive. Troubled in many ways Felix does not want him to be. It leads Sylvain to place his hands on Felix's shoulders, staring into his eyes directly, searching them for something Felix isn't sure of.

"...Okay," Sylvain finally says in a low voice after a long pause, "for one night."

Felix exhales, relief flooding over him. "Good."

Ingrid's going to kill him if she knows what they're up to, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her. And likely, she'll understand anyway, considering for whose sake he's doing this.

After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.


	3. Hey, look at me, don't avert your eyes

One night becomes two. And two becomes four. Then four becomes eight, and Felix does not know if he could stop taking this drug known as Sylvain Jose Gautier.

There is, of course, nothing at all romantic going on between them. Just two friends benefiting from using each other as friends are wont to do. A clean and safe transaction, especially with the way they trust each other.

It is, of course, better than taking the prescriptions his doctor gives him. Reluctantly given, with the recommendation that Felix should go and find an activity that would stabilize his hue over using this medication that loses effectivity with frequency of use.

And here it is. Felix would not call himself easy, but it's a convenient arrangement that keeps his hue in check and keeps him away from those troublesome drugs he's starting to need more and more of.

Still, it's not something Felix could do every day, especially with the scheduled night shifts he has. This particular Thursday, two weeks after his deal with Sylvain, is one such work day. It doesn't help that Rhea has some particularly complicated reports for him to review, and it has him pulling an extra hour after his shift, determined to get this analysis over with for this day.

Unlike other nights, he isn't alone in the office, and the light from the screen diagonally across his seat continues to flicker blue, telling of the presence of its owner.

"What're you still doing here?" Felix can't help but call out in slight irritation. "Your shift is over."

"Could ask you the same question myself, Inspector," Dimitri says, swiveling his chair to face Felix. "Hard at work today, aren't we?"

Felix narrows his gaze at Dimitri, hackles raised at the way Dimitri's lips curl into a smile that does not reach his eyes. Like a hunter tired of toying around with its prey, ready to pounce. Does he somehow know? That tomorrow is a day Felix agreed to see Sylvain after all, and better he doesn't give anyone an excuse for him to stay late bar an emergency.

"None of your business," Felix says, tearing his eyes away from Dimitri to focus on his computer screen instead. "Leave, if you just plan on being a nuisance."

Dimitri's chair rolls and Felix can hear him standing up, but Dimitri's footsteps draw closer instead of further away. By the time Felix gets to his feet, Dimitri has blocked off Felix's escape, his body warm and uncomfortably close as he looms over him.

"I said to leave if you were just going to be annoying," Felix says, on the edge as he turns to face Dimitri properly.

Dimitri's lone blue eye is unreadable as it pierces through Felix, searching for something in his expression.

"Is it true you're seeing Sylvain?" Dimitri asks after a moment passes.

He knows.

"It's none of your business," Felix says, hating how defensive he sounds. As if he had been caught doing something he should not be doing, even if none of this is technically wrong by any means.

Still doesn't stop his heart from racing when Dimitri closes in, trapping Felix between his desk and his arm, hand resting on the edge of the table.

"So it's true?" Dimitri asks, breath warm as he leans in, forcing Felix to bend backward as he looms uncomfortably close.

Felix glares. "What if I am? You think you can stop me?"

He might as well meet this challenge head-on, considering the nigh unacceptability of failure. Dimitri does not respond at once, a frown on his face as he studies Felix, who holds his breath as their gazes meet.

"No." Dimitri exhales, but does not pull away. "There isn't much I can do from here. Especially if that's what you truly want."

Yet the way Dimitri says it with an ounce of doubt sparks irritation within Felix, the sentiment itching at him. "It is. I would have it no other way."

"Truly, Felix?" Dimitri asks, but this time there's a solemnity to his tone that unnerves Felix and a touch of sorrow that guilts him despite everything.

"I'm done with you," Felix insists. "How many times do you need me to repeat that before it gets through your damn head?"

"Enough times," Dimitri agrees, "I've thought that those were simply—"

"—A joke?" Felix asks, unable to help the interruption as he squirms awkwardly beneath Dimitri, trying to see if there's a way he could squeeze himself past him. "Me being difficult? I assure you, I'm _not_."

Can Dimitri hear the blood pounding in his ears? Felix hopes not. "He keeps my hue stable. I—"

"And not me?" Dimitri surges forward, and Felix absolutely detests himself for the way his pulse spikes as he ends up lying back on the table, knocking away one of his keyboards as he tries to support himself with his elbows.

"What the hell are you doing?" Felix demands as that blue eye bores into him. "Get off."

Of course, Dimitri does not bother listening to him. Instead, he leans over and plants his hands on either side of Felix, continuing to stare at him as if determined to cut through his shield of defiance.

Well, Felix isn't going down without a fight, if anything.

"I said, _get off_." Felix swings his fist at Dimitri, but he catches Felix's mid-swing in a firm grip.

Dimitri continues to hold it amidst Felix's attempt to wriggle away, his face hovering only two or so inches away from Felix's face. "You used to not obsess over your hue. What happened, Felix?"

"You know the answer, you dumb boar," Felix says, glare wavering slightly. Why? Why does his face feel unbearably warm—a phenomenon he should have outgrown by all rights. He was fine a month away from Dimitri, so why?

"Oh?" And Dimitri, curse the gods, latches onto his hesitation like some starving lion. "Care to repeat it for this 'dumb' boar?"

"You disgust me," Felix says, once more attempting to extract his wrist out of Dimitri's grasp. No dice. "Stop pretending to be the man I used to love."

"'Disgusted'." Dimitri's grip slackens slightly, but not enough for Felix to overcome it. "You have every right to be. I'm not proud of my behavior then. But Felix… I'm still here."

"No. The Dimitri I knew died along with Glenn."

That draws pause from Dimitri, and Felix takes that opportunity to pry his wrist away from Dimitri. Yet it's not like he could move much with Dimitri caging him in like this, instead forced to look at the source of his heartache in the midst of this dim light.

Dimitri exhales, letting his hand fall beside Felix. "I suppose you're right. Glenn's death has changed many things."

"About damn time you realized that." Felix can taste the bitterness of those words upon his lips, swallowing down an awkward lump in his throat as he casts his gaze downwards. "Promises are nothing to you, aren't they?"

"I've made mistakes, Felix," Dimitri says, expression shaded by sorrow. "I know that. I know we can't go back to the way we were. But is it not possible to move forward with what we have? You left so suddenly and never gave me a chance to prove myself capable of change."

"I..."

Felix swallows. It's true. But it's a _maybe_ that has too many uncertainties than Felix can afford, especially when his current way of life hangs in a precarious balance known as the clarity of his hue.

"There's nothing to prove. You're behaving like that damn beast you are."

But the beating of his heart threatens to tip that scale over, especially with Dimitri's lips hovering so close, just like they would back in those days that don't seem too far away at all. And Dimitri, amid his own hesitation, seems to sense this, gentle as he reaches out to cup Felix's chin.

"Tell me to stop then, Felix," Dimitri says, brushing his thumb across Felix's cheek, "And mean it when you say so. If you do… I promise never to bother you about this again."

Surprisingly true to his word, Dimitri pauses, hand warm as he waits for Felix's answer. When Felix keeps his silence, Dimitri leans in, pressing his lips softly against Felix's as if searching for an answer.

Felix gives it to him, returning the gesture despite what his own logic calls for.

And that's all Dimitri needs, judging by the way he surges and goes all the way with his conquest. It's an offensive that Felix only dares to dream of matching, and as with most of their encounters, Felix finds himself swept away by Dimitri's passion. He lets this torrent sweep him off to where it wills, and it's as if he had forgotten how to swim as Dimitri takes him down under, drowning him in a kiss that speaks of a passion lost and now found.

It gets harder to breathe as they go on, but Felix parts his lips when Dimitri seeks entrance, his body acting on instinct as he throws his arms around Dimitri for support. He really hasn't gotten over Dimitri. He truly hasn't. Is it even possible, really? Especially when his body welcomes this familiar fire, letting it consume him as he chases after what he's denied himself for so long.

Nothing can compare to Dimitri's touch. Not the faded scent in the room he used to share with Dimitri. Not Sylvain's expert caresses or Felix's own attempts to address the hole left by Dimitri's absence. The real thing is intoxicating, more than just a drink after being in a metaphorical desert for so long. It's a drug he's never been able to wean himself off from, a danger he's repeatedly warned himself of should he not watch himself.

But Felix has crossed the line, and despite the risks that lie ahead, can't imagine retreating now. Not when Dimitri starts to unbutton his suit jacket. Impatient fingers work through his shirt next, leaving the last two buttons on as Dimitri proceeds to run a calloused hand all over his front, sparks dancing in their wake as Felix arches into the contact. Felix moans into Dimitri's mouth as Dimitri lifts his other hand, fingers ghosting past his skin before they pull his hair tie out.

As Felix's hair tumbles down and falls in loose waves around his shoulders, Dimitri cards his fingers through his hair. Combing his hand through it like he used to, Dimitri pulls away to drink in the sight of Felix, cheeks flushed and chest heaving.

"Beautiful." Dimitri traces the curve of his lower lip, wet and swollen from their earlier kisses. Felix shudders as the tip of Dimitri's fingers catch the hinge of his glasses, gently lifting them from his face with the help of his other hand as well. "Your eyes too..."

Flushing some more, Felix casts his gaze to the side. That one eye scrutinizing him a little too much, especially with the worshipful fervor Dimitri directs his way. "You're exaggerating."

Dimitri hums. "I don't think I am."

The warmth radiating from Dimitri's hand reminds him of just how cold it is, comforting in its familiarity as it sweeps across his exposed skin. It treads upon paths known before creating new ones, equally rousing as Dimitri's fingers find a nipple, one which he rolls between his fingers before pinching hard, wrenching a low moan out of Felix's throat.

That too, is familiar, as with the soft chuckle that makes it past Dimitri's lips.

"You've always been sensitive around here," Dimitri murmurs before lowering his mouth to the swollen flesh, smoothening the sting out with a comforting lick—a gesture that Felix still appreciates even now.

"What if I am?" Felix breathes, writhing slightly as Dimitri starts moving his other hand south—a promise his body gladly responds to.

"Nothing." Dimitri chuckles. "It's nice things haven't changed in this regard."

And with that, Dimitri follows through, palming Felix through his pants. It's shameful how easily he crumbles when Dimitri touches him, but that's nothing new, really. Or the way his body takes so kindly to it, his hips rolling towards the contact on instinct.

Heat floods Felix's cheeks anew at the groan that escapes him. "Do we have to do this here? Someone might see us."

It's a last-ditch effort to curb his mounting embarrassment, considering his half-clothed state at the moment. Dimitri meets it with soft laughter, pressing a kiss to his navel.

"Just tell me to stop."

Felix doesn't, and another needy whine slips past his lips as Dimitri squeezes him through the restricting fabric. 

"Felix..." Dimitri groans against his skin, clearly affected by his reaction. Letting out a shuddering exhale, he tugs at Felix's zipper. "May I?"

"Hurry up." There shouldn't be anyone on this floor at this hour anyway, and given the way he's tenting his pants, he might as well seek release, especially when he's indulging in a certain temptation.

Dimitri is quick to oblige, freeing Felix's cock from its confines as he pulls Felix's pants halfway down.

"So eager…" Dimitri strokes the length of him as Felix grabs hold of the corner of his desk, shivering as the pad of Dimitri's thumb ghosts past a vein. "Have you been waiting for long, Felix?"

"Shut up and continue," Felix practically whines, clutching the edge of the table so hard that he's sure his grip is coming off white-knuckled as Dimitri continues to slowly jerk him off, forming a tight tunnel with his large hands for Felix to thrust into.

A soft rush of air escapes Dimitri, betraying how much he's enjoying this. And is likely doing everything on purpose. The bastard. "And impatient as always."

"You're just ridiculously slow," Felix mutters, biting back a groan as Dimitri leans forward to mouth at the slender curve of his neck. "Damn it…"

Dimitri lifts his mouth briefly. "Patience, Felix."

Welcome as Dimitri's touch is, there is something Felix desires a lot more that moment, and his mounting arousal easily overcomes his tendency to keep his true desires to himself—a phenomenon that Dimitri tends to trigger time and again.

So Felix speaks before he can hold himself back. 

"There's oil in the usual place."

Not that he and Dimitri made a habit of having sex in the office. But given Dimitri's adventurous side and some stints that required them to stay overnight, having it ready somewhere never hurt.

Still, the statement does the trick. Dimitri pauses, looking a little surprised at the declaration. Serves him right.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just didn't have time to put it away," Felix says amidst the renewed red that rushes to his cheeks.

"If you say so." Damn Dimitri for sounding so smug, but he at least wastes no time opening the aforementioned drawer and producing the bottle. He doesn't take long either with taking Felix's pants and underwear off the whole way. The next thing Felix knows, warm fingers work at his hole, stretching it open in a manner that's embarrassingly familiar.

"Am I moving too fast?" Dimitri asks when Felix inhales sharply as he clenches around two large fingers.

"Too slow," Felix bites out, groaning as Dimitri adds a third. "I'm not made of glass."

"Certainly," Dimitri says, and Felix can hear his grin in that agreement of sorts. Still, that pushes Dimitri to pump his fingers faster, drawing out another moan from Felix when they knowingly brush by that spot which never fails to make Felix feel good.

"Come on," Felix urges Dimitri, squirming as Dimitri curls his fingers and continues to thrust them relentlessly, hitting that sweet spot as he keeps spreading Felix out. "Quit being such a damn tease."

"That's not it at all," Dimitri pauses in his ministrations, using his other hand to cup Felix's cheek once more. "I simply don't want to hurt you again."

Felix colors some more at the gentle admission as he spreads his legs some more. "Just... get on with it."

And finally, Dimitri does, leaving Felix empty as he pulls his fingers out, the rustle of cloth following after. Dimitri replaces it with the warm head of his cock, every bit as large and wide as Felix remembers it. Even with the adequate preparation, it takes some effort for him to slide in, but Felix welcomes the challenge, groaning his approval once Dimitri makes it all the way through.

He missed this. More than words could ever express. So Felix lets his body do the talking, sounding his pleasure out openly as Dimitri thrusts into him. Dimitri's body replies to him in kind, his breathing deep and heavy as he parts him again and again, happy to serve Felix's needs just as it used to.

"Felix, you feel so good," Dimitri murmurs, looking down at him with a reverence that never fails to send shivers running down Felix's spine. Right now, Felix is Dimitri's world, with the reverse holding true as Felix indulges in this once-lost luxury.

"Harder," Felix says, never mind how tears bead at the corner of his eyes, or how tight his response comes off as he clenches around Dimitri.

"As you wish." Indeed, Dimitri seems too happy to oblige as he pounds into Felix anew, each thrust layered with pain as much as there's pleasure.

Just the way Felix wants it.

It does not take long before Felix comes, pulling ahead of Dimitri in that regard. Dimitri chases after his own release too, only stopping once he's spilled all of his seed deep within Felix.

Dimitri lays his hands on either side of Felix, weight heavy against the desk as his chest heaves, sweat dripping from his brow onto Felix's exposed torso.

"I missed you, Felix," Dimitri says, wearing a smile which makes him look like the Dimitri that Felix first fell in love with.

"...I did too," Felix says, well aware how warm his cheeks would be right now if they weren't already heated from both exertion and embarrassment. "But..."

"But…?"

"...not the mess we made."

Damn, this is horrible. Come is still dripping out of Felix's ass like no one's business, and there's his own fluids drying across his body and surely some must have splattered on his garments. Having sex on a desk is never the best of ideas, but truly, who is Felix to think of such things in the heat of the moment?

"Oh." But Dimitri, goddamn him yet again, laughs as if it were not a pressing concern of Felix's.

"There's nothing funny about it!" Still, Felix's protest comes out half-hearted as he sits up, cringing slightly as a sharp pain runs down his back.

"Absolutely not," Dimitri says, not really sounding like he's agreeing with Felix. "Shall I help you clean up?"

Felix raises a brow at Dimitri. "How much cleaning up do you actually plan to do?"

"You caught me," Dimitri says, raising his arms in surrender.

"...Get one of your extra shirts," Felix commands, though the blush that creeps to his cheeks once more surely tells another story. "I can take care of things here on my own."

Sure, a holo can cover up the stains on his clothes, but it won't do anything about how uncomfortable it is to wear them like that. And on top of it all, having a piece of Dimitri with him nearby would certainly be nice.

Not that Felix is about to admit that, though judging by that barely stifled chuckle, Dimitri has picked up on Felix's thoughts.

"Very well. But on one condition."

"What?"

The condition, it seems, is wrapping Felix in a hug. One that takes Felix by surprise, as with the emotion that wells in his chest as Dimitri buries his nose into his hair.

"When tomorrow comes, may I still do this?" Dimitri asks.

"Idiot." Swallowing, Felix wraps his arms around Dimitri's waist, chest oddly heavy. "You don't have to ask."

"I'll be holding you to that." Dimitri exhales, a soft rush of air blowing over the top of Felix's head. "I was afraid this was a dream."

"Then make sure it won't remain one. I'll… do my part too."

Color accompanies the latter statement, a fact which has Felix glad that Dimitri can't see his face now. Tenuous as this peace hanging over them is, Felix does not feel inclined to let go of it again. The path forward may be littered with uncertainties, but those risks beat staying away from Dimitri again. Besides ending up in a disaster, this embrace is simply much more inviting than the lonely alternative, and all things considered, after all that turmoil from last month...

...It feels like coming home. And maybe, just maybe, it's okay to be wrong for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I ran out of steam before finishing writing everything in my outline, I have finished writing the scene that means the most to me, which is what you see in this chapter. The place where I stopped doesn't answer all questions raised in this AU, but I believe it wraps up one story arc at the very least.
> 
> I will see if I can bring myself to properly finish the plottier bits of this story in the coming year, but if not, then I'll see what I can do about releasing my story notes. Either way, thank you for taking the time to read this!

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: [@slip_fe3h](https://twitter.com/slip_fe3h)


End file.
